This preview is the final installment of a 12-part series previewing the KU football schedule.
It’s no secret that Kansas football’s home opener sits just under a week away. There’s plenty of anticipation head coach Lance Leipold’s third year at the helm of a once-lowly KU program that’s seeking to get a leg up on its new Big 12 Conference rivals in a unique 14-team league setup.
Better yet, fans of the team will be treated to improvements to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium beginning at the end of the regular season.
Shortly before those renovations get started, KU will roll over to Cincinnati for the pair’s third all-time meeting with the Bearcats as this year’s regular-season finale. Previously meeting twice during the 1995 and 1997 seasons, the newly acquainted conference foes are tied 1-1 in their gridiron history.
A new face on the Big 12’s block, Cincinnati will try its hand at the new era with a new head coach, Scott Satterfield, whose previous stops include Louisville and Appalachian State.
When compared the current state of Cincinnati’s program, KU’s continuity is a huge advantage on paper. Losing six-year head coach Luke Fickell to the Wisconsin job clearly took its toll on the Bearcats in the portal, with just seven returning starters slated to lead the way.
That exodus even included last year’s starting quarterback Ben Bryant (Northwestern), who completed 213 passes for 2,731 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Instead, Arizona State transfer Emory Jones will get his shot at the starting job. Jones, who began his playing career at Florida back in 2019, brings 4,880 passing yards worth of reps to Cincinnati. Returning backup Evan Prater is converting to wide receiver.
Jones and Prater will be working with a completely fresh receivers unit, which lost its top six targets from last fall during the offseason. Transfers Dee Wiggins (Louisville) and Donovan Ollie (Washington State) are seemingly the leaders in that camp now.
Even more alarming, the Bearcats’ offensive line returns just one starter in junior center Gavin Gerhardt.
Relief may come from the backfield, where the Bearcats can look to proven rushers Corey Kiner and Myles Montgomery to pull their share of weight. Kiner and Montgomery were second and third, respectively, in rushing last season behind graduate back Charles McClelland (now with the Tennessee Titans).
Perhaps the biggest returning producers from Cincinnati’s 9-4 (6-2 American Athletic Conference) campaign last fall come in the form of returning defensive lineman Dontay Corleone and Jowon Briggs. Also up front will be proven defensive end Malik Vann. Vann and Briggs combine for 19 career sacks.
At linebacker, transfers Daniel Grzesiak (Utah State) and Dorian Jones (Louisville) should make an immediate impact alongside returning senior veteran Dehshawn Pace.
Further back, returning cornerback Sammy Anderson Jr. and safety Bryon Threats provide proper insurance for an offense full of what-ifs.
Cincinnati’s nonconference slate features a Week 2 litmus test at Pittsburgh before jumping right into the fire with Oklahoma in Week 4. Looking ahead, the Bearcats will have spent Weeks 10 and 11 on the road at Houston and West Virginia before getting their shot at the Jayhawks.
AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe
